


The Dowry Chest

by wisia



Series: Cap-IM TRB 2015 [9]
Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 11:49:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4745255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisia/pseuds/wisia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a dowry chest sitting Tony's closet.</p><p>For the Cap-IM Tiny RBB 2015<br/>CODE: Imperfection</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dowry Chest

**Author's Note:**

> **Code Name:** Imperfection [ the Art ](http://capim-tinybang.tumblr.com/post/127306211501/title-imperfections-artist-ssyn3-link-to-tumblr)  
> **Title:** The Dowry Chest  
>  **Universe:** Ambiguous  
>  **Notes:** Ended kind of weirdly, but whatever. I’m not so good at writing these days it seems. Sorry for butchering this fine piece of art.

When Maria married Howard, she brought along with her a dowry chest. She had several, in fact, but there was _the_ dowry chest. It was massive to Tony as a child, built of the finest and sturdiest oak inlaid with dark cherry. At ten, he could still sit himself comfortably inside, and at ten he decided he wanted one too even though it wasn’t custom. Not for a male like him. Maria smiled fondly and said it couldn’t be bought.

“It has to be built. With heart,” she said gently to a dejected Tony. “My grandfather made this one for me. Everything we could dream of together, of that future, we put it here. See.”

She lifted that heavy lid, the hinges barely squeaking. She pushed back the folds of thick blankets, her wedding dress, and old letters to show the bottom. The interior was lined with velvet and silk personally embroidered by Maria, her mother, and female relatives. Then, Maria took Tony’s hand and placed it on top of the chest after closing it. “You feel it? It has heart. Soul.”

“Oh,” Tony said.

“It’s built. Made by our own hands. Heart and soul.”

Tony planned it then. He would build his own. For the day of his wedding.

At sixteen, he completed it. The workmanship was raw and rough. It wasn’t also strictly wood, having metal embedded where he could fit it. To keep longer, Tony thought. Something sturdy that couldn’t be destroyed easily. There was a secret bottom and secret drawers, and it was everything Tony could imagine for someone who might marry him.

He never used it…

“What’s this?” Steve asked. They were in Tony’s closet, in the Manor, looking for something Steve could borrow for tonight’s event. His clothes wouldn’t fit Steve, but Tony remembered there was a particularly large suit jacket that he never had tailored. It would do in a pinch if they could find it.

“What’s what?” Tony looked down to where Steve was kneeling on the floor. He froze as Steve flipped over the blanket over the object.

“A box?” Steve ran his fingers over it. “No…”

“It’s a chest, Steve. Haven’t you ever seen a chest before?” Despite his words, Tony stared at the chest, feeling dizzy. It had been ages since he thought about that chest.

“Why do you have a chest in your closet?”

“Why else do people have a chest in their closet? It’s storage.” Tony shook his head. “Anyway, not, not important. Come on. I can’t find that jacket.”

Steve didn’t get up though. He opened the lid. “Maybe it’s in here.”

“What, no! It wouldn’t be in there.”

“How would you know? I bet you forgot—“ Steve trailed into silence. Tony winced. The interior of the lid was lined with plush velvet along with the detachable tray that sat directly on top of the chest’s insides. That wasn’t actually the bad part. It was the fact that the interior and tray were meant to be a jewelry drawer.

“Seriously?” Steve quirked an eyebrow at Tony. “Afraid I’ll steal your jewelry, Tony?”

“It’s not, it’s not that. Now, can you close it so we can go buy your jacket?” He hoped Steve wouldn’t notice that there was.

“Wait, is this a wedding ring?” The two gold bands were nestled in the middle of the tray, obvious as fuck, gleaming and shiny. It was meant to be the centerpiece of the tray.

“Mayyyybe.”

Steve looked at him. “Tony—“

“It’s not important. Can you just close the lid, and let’s go?”

He hurried out of the closet. He didn’t really want Steve to see that.

“Tony,” Steve said gently. He had followed Tony out. “Come here.”

“No.” Tony refused to meet his eyes, keeping his back to Steve.

“Tony, come on.”

Tony reluctantly turned his head. Steve had his arms out, an entirely earnest look on his face. He sighed, throwing himself at Steve a little too hard. It was a pretty bad headbutt.

“Ow,” Steve said.

“Sorry,” Tony mumbled against his shirt. Steve petted Tony’s hair. It was several minutes before Tony felt his heart settled down. Steve seemed to sense it too.

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“I’m…I’m less panicky?”

“Okay,” Steve said.

“You’re not going to ask about it?”

“Not if you’re going to—“

“Freak the hell out about it?” Tony finished.

“Yeah.”

“Is this something I should avoid?” Steve asked cautiously. They each had their limits, and Tony couldn’t even say it was a PTSD issue.

“No. It’s just…stupid.” Tony sighed. “It’s a…dowry chest.”

“I kind of figured that after seeing the rings.”

“I made it.”

There was a pause.

“You made it?”

“When I was sixteen.” Tony exhaled deeply. “I don’t know. I thought I was going to get married one day, and so that. Well, it never happened.”

“Oh.” Then, “do you want to get married?”

“Steve…I’m not. Wait, what?”

“Yes or no, Tony?”

“Yes?”

“Good,” Steve said, kissing him on the lips.


End file.
